Chapter VI: Friends and Family
by Squirrel Patronus
Summary: First week for the First Years. The classes are starting, the cliques are forming and...nothing much happens. Or does it? Severus, Lily, Mary MacDonald, Avery, Mulciber, Lucius, Narcissa, Petunia, the Marauders and all of the professors and Hogwarts staff mentioned in this story belong to J.K. Rowling. The rest are mine.


The din in the Great Hall quieted down as Albus Dumbledore stood up to greet the new First Years. Severus stared at the old man in the violet robes. His hair and beard were silver, but his blue eyes were bright and youthful. He smiled widely at the students.

"Welcome students, new and old to the beginning of another school year at Hogwarts. I would like to start the banquet with a bit of verse from one of my favorite poems."

_"Twas brillig, and the slithy toves/Did gyre and gimble in the wabe; All Mimsy were the borogoves/And the mome raths outgrabe."_ He sat down to enthusiastic applause as plates appeared on the table.

"What the hell was that?" the boy on Severus' left muttered. Severus knew very well what it was. A bit from "The Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carrol. He and Lily had read both of the Alice books over the summer. Lily was mad for Wonderland. "Doesn't it sound like the most wonderful place, Severus? I would so love to see it," Lily sighed as she traced her finger over the lines of John Tenniel's illustrations.

"We'll be going to a better place in the fall, Lily. Wonderland is just fake, imaginary Muggle magic. Hogwarts is real!" "I know, Sev. Still, it would be so lovely to visit Wonderland!"

Severus wondered what Lily was thinking at the Gryffindor table after hearing one of their favorite poems. She was probably chatting with her new friends, telling them all about the Lewis Carrol stories. He was certainly not going to inform his new Slytherin classmates that he had read Muggle books about a girl named Alice. He stared at the plates piled high with food. There was more food in front of him than his family would have eaten in two weeks. Make that one month. There was never enough food in the house and his mother was an indifferent cook. Severus realized that he was famished. He piled his plate high with fried fish, chips, peas, carrots, rolls and butter. He grabbed a jar of ketchup and began spooning it on to his plate.

"Well, you do like ketchup, don't you? Save some for the rest of us!" said a girl with a posh London accent. Severus looked up in annoyance, but the quick retort died on his tongue. The girl seated across from him had been sorted into Slytherin immediately after him. She had long, shiny black hair and grey eyes framed by thick black lashes. Although she was only twelve, she did not have the soft childish features of the other First Year girls. "I'm only joking. I'm Suzanne Stern."

"Severus Snape," Severus managed to stammer.

Lily was and always would be the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, but Suzanne was, in the words of his father, "A real stunner." The other boys at the table had also noticed her. Severus caught several of the Slytherin upperclassmen giving her covert glances.

"That's an interesting name. I've never heard it before." "I've never heard it before, either," an irritable voice said. The girl sitting next to Suzanne surveyed Severus with cool blue eyes. She had dark red hair like Lily and would have been pretty if she had not been frowning, her eyes slowly passing judgment on him. "I've never heard that name before, and I know just about every pure-blood family in England. Who are your people?"

"My mother's family are the Princes," Severus replied. It was the only thing that he could think of to say.

"The Princes? They're friends of my parents!" a handsome blond boy exclaimed. "Capital people! I was at Hieronymous' wedding last January. It was snowing so hard he had to hire lamp-lit sleighs to transport the guests to the house. The blizzard was so thick people were getting lost and disoriented when they disapparated!"

"Really, Anthony?" Oh, do tell!" the redheaded girl purred, momentarily losing interest in Severus. Severus' hands were sweating and his throat felt dry. His half-blood status was a guarded secret and he wasn't sure how he could successfully keep up the facade. He looked at the other members of his House, who were chatting comfortably about their families. Anthony Greengrass, who had attended the winter wedding, was the rich and handsome heir to the Greengrass banking fortune. He was seated next to Wilbraham Twilfit, the rich and not very handsome great-grandson of the co-founder of Twilfit & Tattings. Wilbraham was talking to Abigail Armstrong who had been Slytherin's first new student that evening.

"This must be old hat for you, Abigail. After all, you do live in a castle in Scotland!"

"Don't fool yourself, Bram," Abigail laughed pleasantly. "It's really only a tower and isn't half as grand as Hogwarts!"

A castle in Scotland? Attending a winter wedding where the guests were transported by magical sleighs?

Severus suddenly did not feel hungry. He stared at his plate as it disappeared and a clean one appeared in its place. The entrees and side dishes vanished and were replaced by a startling variety of pudding.

"Can't make up your mind? Try the chocolate ganache. I highly recommend it!" Severus turned to the boy on his right. Lucius Malfoy, the prefect. Unlike the other Houses, the Slytherin prefects sat with the First Years during the first month of the school year.

"You probably already know that people who are sorted into Slytherin all have the potential to be great," Lucius said in his smooth voice. "Salazar Slytherin valued pure-bloods, but he did not care about their social status. Did you know that Merlin, our most famous alumnus and the greatest wizard of all time was a bastard? His grandfather relegated him to the servants' quarters and would not allow him to be seated at the family table."

"None of this mattered to Salazar Slytherin. He recognized great talent. Merlin was sorted into this House and was taught by the master himself. The rest, as the old saying goes, is history," Lucius said with a smile. He was addressing all of the First Years, but his eyes rested on Severus. "So why are you telling us this story? We all know about Merlin!" the boy on Severus' left said. Mulciber, that was his name. He and his friend, Avery, had been silent throughout most of the meal.

"The point is that each and every one of you has the potential to be as great as Merlin. Losers are not sorted into Slytherin. If you have any doubts about the abilities of your fellow Slytherins, you should banish those thoughts at once! The Sorting Hat recognizes the seeds of ambition and greatness in everyone who is sorted into Slytherin, whether he is a prince or a pauper. Remember, all of you can be great. Unlike people who are sorted into other Houses," Lucius said dryly as he glanced over at the Hufflepuff table.

As if on cue, several of the First Years at the Hufflepuff table burst into song. Severus recognized Gary Martin and Billy Shears, the two Muggle-born boys who had been on the Hogwarts Express with him. They were singing loudly, thumping the table and leading the chorus of a well-known East London tune.

_"Oh, knees up Mother Brown/Knees up Mother Brown/Knees up, knees up, never let the breeze up!"_

"Loud, stupid gits!" Severus thought. He had already pegged those boys as idiots. He looked at the faces of his fellow Slytherins. Most paid no attention, others were amused, some were clearly annoyed. Suzanne clapped her hands and blew a kiss towards the Hufflepuff table. Avery and Mulciber were frowning deeply.

"What kind of stupid Mudblood song is that?" Avery growled.

"Precisely. As I said, no losers are sorted into Slytherin," Lucius said. "We are all friends and family here. Brothers and sisters."

Severus stared at Lucius. The boy had the looks and manners of a wealthy pure-blood, but he had spoken directly to Severus when he related the tale of Merlin. Lucius must have believed that he had the potential to be great. Why else would he tell the tale of Merlin, who was born on the lowest rung of society, yet rose to be the most revered wizard in the world? Lucius was the type of boy he aspired to be. Self-assured, with all of the right connections which would help him along on his path to fame. Severus smiled at Lucius and held out his plate.

"I will try that ganache," he said.

"What's our first class, Wendy?" Margaret asked as she fastened the closings on her black robe. Wendy held up their schedule to the window. The first rays of morning light were peeking over the mountain, bathing the dormitory for the Ravenclaw First Year girls in a rosy glow.

"Our first class is Charms with the Slytherins-Professor Flitwick. Then we have Potions with the Hufflepuffs. We also are with the Hufflepuffs again on Tuesdays and Thursdays for Herbology. Then History of Magic. It looks like all of the First Years are put together in that classroom. Then lunch and on to Astronomy with the Gryffindors. Wait-it says that all of the First Year classes will meet every Wednesday at midnight in the astronomy tower as part of the lesson. Schedule subject to change. Then we have Transfiguration with the Gryffindors on Tuesdays and Thursdays and then the last class is Defense Against the Dark Arts-we 're with the Slytherins again. I'm really looking forward to that one!"

"Really? That one sounds so dark and dangerous!" Scholastica Crowley exclaimed. Her blue eyes looked worried as she brushed out her long, dark blonde hair.

"Don't worry, Scholastica. They won't be casting dark spells on us, just teaching us how to defend ourselves against them!" Sarah Abrams chimed in. She was a spritely, dark-haired girl who wore tortoise shell framed glasses.

"Yes. From what I've read in our book the DADA class for First Years is rather dull. We don't get to perform any of the actual counter-curses this year," said Frances Walpole. She had short hair like Sarah, but she was blonde and had a rather prim demeanor. The girls hurried to the Great Hall for breakfast. Robin and some of the First Year Ravenclaw boys were already seated at the table. He waved at them.

"Ready for class?" he asked as he heaped eggs and sausages onto his plate.

"Do you really need to ask?" Wendy replied. "It looks like a pretty full schedule. Hmm...they do allow us a break for lunch-how kind!" Robin said with false exaggeration. The boys laughed.

"The homework here is pretty intense. A real challenge. I love challenges!" a small bespectacled boy said as he gleefully rubbed his hands. "So do I!" Wendy exclaimed. She was so excited that she could only take a few bites of her toast and small sips of her tea. Her Ravenclaw classmates loved intellectual challenges just as much as she did. There was no fear of anyone calling her a prattling know-it-all, since so many of her House mates fell into the same category. "Off to Charms class!" Robin said as he got up from the table. "Let's see how charming those Slytherins can be!"

There were several Slytherins who had already found seats in the classroom. In front of each seat at the long tables was a blue feather. "What on earth was its purpose?" Wendy wondered. This wasn't transfiguration. She and her friends found seats in the front row. Wendy looked around for Severus, but didn't see him. She left the seat on the end next to her empty, just in case. Wendy looked up to see Joanne Rosier waltz in, followed by Donatella Mammon and Patsy Cromwell. She surveyed the students and the seating, then made a bee-line for the seat next to Mahmoud. Donatella sat next to her taking the last chair on the end, leaving Patsy without a seat. "Where am I supposed to sit?" Patsy whined.

"Wherever your bony hind quarters find an empty space!" Donatella hissed back at her. Several of the students laughed. Defeated, Patsy slumped down in a seat next to creepy Avery and Mulciber.

"Those are her friends?" Wendy was appalled. She hated Patsy, but at the moment felt a pang of sympathy. At that moment Severus hastily entered the room. His greasy hair was uncombed, his black robe was wrinkled and papers were spilling out of his book bag. Wendy waved to him. He looked at her, frowned, then took a seat in the back with Avery, Mulciber and Patsy.

"Twit," Wendy murmured as she opened her Charms book. The students stopped talking as Professor Flitwick entered the classroom. They stared at him as he nimbly leapt up on top of a stack of books piled behind his desk. He unrolled a scroll of paper and smiled.

"Welcome to Charms Class," he said in a squeaky voice. "I will not be assigning you seats, but I do ask that you keep the seats that you are sitting in until the end of the month, after I have memorized who you all are."

"Poor Mahmoud," Wendy thought. "Stuck for a month sitting next to the Red Dragon and her evil little friend."

After he took role call Professor Flitwick instructed them to turn to page two of their Charms book.

"Charms will be one of the most useful classes that you take at Hogwarts," he told the students. "Every witch and wizard uses simple and complex ones every day. Don't be frustrated if the spells don't work immediately. They will come to you with practice. Remember, practice, concentration and incantation are key! Not to mention some precise wrist action!"

"We will be starting with _Wingardium Leviosa_ which is a very simple levitating charm. Once you have mastered it you will eventually move to more complex levitating charms."

"'Scuse me, perfesser, but what is the bloody use of levitatin' a feather?" Mulciber demanded. His arms were crossed over his chest and he stared at Professor Flitwick with insolent defiance.

"You would be surprised, Mr. Mulciber," Professor responded. "Remember that even the simplest spell may be of great use to you when you least expect it. Now let's see if you can make these feathers rise. Pair off!"

The students consulted their books, waved their wands and began chanting.

_"Wingardium Leviosa!"_ Wendy said with a flourish of her wand. Nothing. Margaret's feather had not moved either. Neither had the feathers of anyone else in class. The room was buzzing with students saying, whispering or (in Mulciber's case) shouting _"Wingardium Leviosa"_ as they flicked their wrists or wildly flailed their wands in frustration. They passed the greater period of the class, referring to their books, swishing and flicking their wands and uttering the spell.

"What are we doing wrong?" Margaret frowned as she studied the book. "Our wrist motions look like the ones in the book and we're pronouncing the words correctly."

"Swish and flick, swish and flick," Robin muttered as he went through the motions. He was paired with Mahmoud, whose lips were pressed together in a tight line as he stared at the stationary feather.

Wendy stared at the spell. Concentration, wrist action and incantation. She was concentrating, her wand flicking and swishing felt right and her pronunciation of the words were correct. Wait-pronunciation was different than intonation.

_"Wing-GAR-dium Levi-O-sa!"_ she intoned, stretching out the middle syllable of each word as she flicked and swished her wand over the feather. It slowly rose into the air.

"Oh, look at this-it's rising up!" she cried. "Look!"

The other students did look as the blue feather in front of Wendy floated up towards the ceiling.

"Excellent work, Miss Nott!" Professor Flitwick exclaimed. "You see, ladies and gentlemen, intonation is key! I noticed that most of you were stressing the first or last syllables of the words. It is important that you pronounce the words correctly-mispronouncing them can lead to unpleasant results-but verbal inflection is just as important!"

Wendy beamed as her classmates congratulated her. She turned around and looked for Severus. He was staring at her, deep frown lines furrowing his forehead. His feather was also rising to the ceiling.

"Brilliant work, Severus!" she exclaimed. He didn't respond. "He's blaming me for stealing his thunder," Wendy thought. She suspected that Severus was an intelligent boy who loved academic challenges just as much as she did, but for him it was different. He did not see other academically minded students as comrades. To him they were adversaries, and she had just thrown down the gauntlet by besting him in Charms.

Lily and Mary MacDonald seated themselves in Astronomy class, right in front of the professor's desk with its golden astrolabe and model of the solar system. Star and planetary charts hung on the walls.

"At least this looks like a normal classroom," Mary whispered. "That's nice for a change of pace."

"Yes," said Lily. As a Muggle-born she knew exactly what her friend meant. The term normal certainly had not applied to any of the other classes that they had attended so far. In Herbology Professor Sprout had told them about the numerous dangerous plants that grew in the greenhouses.

"Some of them are fatal killers," she said cheerfully. "Don't worry-you won't be handling them this year."

In Transfiguration Professor MacGonagall had changed an inkwell into a raven and back to an inkwell. She sternly warned them that Transfiguration was one of the more dangerous disciplines of magic, and that inattention could lead to tragic results. The Potions classroom was full of all types of odd bottled specimens, some of which looked decidedly sinister. Professor Slughorn had lectured them about the importance of reading each potion formula more than once, knowing the exact ingredients, quantities, temperatures and incantations before starting to brew.

"Make a mistake and you'll end up in the infirmary, at the very least. This is not a class for horseplay!"

His words had not made much of an impression on James Potter and his friends. James had coughed out the word "Wanker!" when Severus answered a question and Sirius Black had flicked newt eyes at him while they were brewing potions. "Idiots," Lily thought sourly. The four boys had been an unwelcome distraction in all of her classes. The only one where they had not caused a disruption was Transfiguration. Professor McGonagall was one teacher whom you simply did not cross.

Lily looked around the room. The Gryffindors had Astronomy with the Ravenclaws who had the reputation of being the intellectual House. Lily liked the good-natured Hufflepuffs, but had been dismayed when her friends Gary Martin and Billy Shears had cheered on James and his gang in their disruptive hijinks. She had been delighted to see Severus in Potions class, but the centuries long rivalry between the two Houses had made for a tense atmosphere. There was also an unpleasant trio of girls led by a redheaded girl named Joanne Rosier. Several First Year students had mistakenly called her Lily and she had confronted Lily in Potions class.

"So you're the Muggle-born whom everyone thinks is my twin!" she said angrily after Potions class was dismissed.

"No one could ever mistake you for Lily, Joanne!" Severus interjected. "Let's go Lily!" They left Joanne puzzling over whether or not Severus' remark was meant to be an insult.

"Meet me at the owlery after your last class!" Severus told her. "I've been wanting to post a letter to Mam, but there haven't been any available owls. Maybe one will be free today."

Neither Severus nor Lily had an owl. He could not afford one and Petunia had thrown a fit when Lily had asked her parents for one.

"It's bad enough that she's going to that freak school," Petunia had cried. "What will the neighbors think when they see an owl flying here every week!"

The two of them were now at a disadvantage. Hogwarts provided owls for students who did not have them, but during the first week of school the birds were working overtime. Lily and Severus had gone twice to the owlery only to find that there were no available owls.

The door opened and Professor Sinistra walked over to her desk. Unlike the other professors, who were old (or at least appeared to be), Professor Sinistra was young and pretty. Her robes were dark blue with threads of black and silver. Instead of the tall pointed hat worn by Professors McGonagall and Sprout she wore a headscarf, a dark blue hijab covered with gold stars. "Welcome to Astronomy class," she said in elegantly accented English. "We will be studying the properties and patterns of the planets and stars. It is essential that you know the alignment of the planets, the position of the moon, the beginnings of the solistice and the equinox as well as the dates of eclipses. These events can have effects on which dates are good for brewing certain potions or casting certain spells."

"Will we be doing palm reading as well, Professor?" Frances Walpole asked.

"No," Professor Sinistra frowned. "Astronomy is not Astrology, which is an unproven and questionable discipline that has no place being taught at a magical academy. Plotting a star chart for the purposes of aiding in magical skill is different from reading palms, tea leaves and crystal balls. Astronomy is a proven magical science, Astrology is a series of quasi-magical tricks used on gullible people."

"We shall start today with the solar system in our galaxy," Professor Sinistra said as she waved her wand over the model on her desk. It floated to the ceiling, expanding in size. The sun erupted into a fiery ball as the other planets orbited around it. Everyone in class, including James Potter and Sirius Black, listened in rapt attention as Professor Sinistra began her lecture.

"So, what did you think?" a friendly voice asked Lily as she packed up her books after class. Lily turned to see Wendy Nott and Margaret Hodge. A handsome black haired boy was standing with them.

"I like this class. It is interesting, and I don't feel overwhelmed or over my head here," Lily replied. "I'm learning new things that I didn't learn in Muggle school, but it is also familiar and that is such a comfort! I also like Professor Sinistra. She is very smart, but she doesn't scare me like some of the professors."

"I am glad to hear that," the boy laughed. "Professor Sinistra is my aunt!"

"I am Mahmoud Siddiqui," he offered his hand to Lily.

"Lily Evans," Lily shook his hand, noticing that Mahmoud had black eyes like Severus.

"You didn't tell us that Professor Sinistra was your aunt!" Wendy cried. "What other secrets are you hiding from us?"

"No more, Wendy, I promise you! Professor Sinistra is my mother's younger sister. When Professor Dumbledore hired her my mother could not bear to live so far away from her dear sister. My father found a job in England and here I am at Hogwarts!" he grinned.

"Huta Raputa's loss is Hogwarts' gain!" Margaret laughed. "Mahmoud and I are going to the library, Lily. Would you like to join us?"

"Thanks, Margaret, maybe next time. I promised Severus that I would go to the owlery with him before dinner."

"I'm meeting my sister there," Wendy said. "I'm bringing a treat for Ptolemy, her owl. He gets a bit offended if we don't visit. Maybe I'll see you there!"

"I'd like that!" Lily smiled. They were all nice people. She tucked her books into her satchel and headed out the door.

"What's the big rush, Evans? Hurrying off to the library with the Ravenclaw swots?" Lily turned around to face James, Sirius, Remus and Peter.

"Leave her alone, James," Remus said.

"If you spend too much time in the library you'll start to look like one of those Ravenclaw bluestockings!" Sirius Black laughed. "What's a bluestocking?" Peter asked.

"The only type of girl who would probably pay attention to you!" "Actually you could benefit from a little more time in the library, Sirius," Remus said. "I know that you and James haven't finished your Transfiguration homework."

"Oh, it will be done," James said carelessly. He smiled at Lily.

"We're going to pay Hagrid a visit. Would you like to come with us?"

"You know him?" Lily was incredulous. James laughed happily. . "My father is on the Board of Governors and was a big influence in getting Hagrid his job as groundskeeper. So yeah, we are friends!"

"That sounds lovely, but I really can't today. I have to be somewhere else." For a brief moment Lily wished that she was not meeting Severus. She truly wanted to get to know the giant groundskeeper better.

"Be somewhere? Where do you have to be at this time?" James' smile vanished and he was frowning, his hazel eyes suspicious.

"I don't think that's any of your business, Potter! You aren't my big brother!" Lily hurried down the stairs toward the main hallway.

"The nerve of that boy!" Lily thought heatedly. He was so nosy, always wanting to know her business. When he wasn't making a pest of himself he was showing off, bragging about his flying prowess, telling silly jokes or stories in a loud voice or playing pranks. A series of honkers had been set loose in the library the other day, driving Madam Pince, the librarian, to a state of near apoplexy. Lately several unfortunate boys had found themselves unable to move, their shoes magically glued to the floor. It was a minor impediment jinx, amusing to all onlookers but annoying to the victim. Lily smiled as she remembered poor Jacob Brewster, encumbered not only by his excessive weight but also unable to lift his feet from the floor.

"Merlin's Beard, I never thought that it would come to this!" he groaned. James laughed, clapped him on the back and performed the counter-jinx.

"All in good fun, mate!" he said and Jacob had laughed when he realized the joke.

Lily smiled as she remembered the scene, then frowned. These minor jinxes were probably all in good fun now, but what would happen when James and his friends mastered the more serious spells? No one at Hogwarts would be safe then!

"Watch out, Lily!" Lily snapped out of her thoughts and came face to face with Severus, who was waiting by the front door.

"You nearly walked right past me! What's on your mind?" "Oh, just thoughts about classes," Lily replied. "Is that all?" he asked. They had no secrets from each other.

"No. I was just thinking that once James Potter and his friends master the more complex jinxes no one will be safe."

"They'd better not try any of those-the bastards!" Severus said hotly. Lily wished that she hadn't mentioned them. "Do you think that we will be able to get an owl tonight?" she asked quickly.

"Only one way to find out! I'll race you!" Severus tore off down the stairs in the direction of the owlery, with Lily in close pursuit.

"No fair! You had a lead start!" she laughed as she ran after him. With his cloak billowing out behind him, Severus looked like a large, black bird of prey. He reached the owlery first, grinning at her with a flushed face.

"Come on, Lily, you're not even trying! Race you upstairs?"

"No way! Those stairs are too steep and rickety!" Lily laughed. They walked inside and started up the steep, wooden staircase. Loud voices stopped them as they reached the top landing.

"You think that you're so smart, don't you! You and your little friend Sirius Black must think that it's fun to be rebellious and have your relatives look like fools!" a voice shrilled.

"Oh, come off it, Winifred! I can't speak for Sirius, but I didn't do anything to try to make you look bad. The Hat sorted me into Ravenclaw because that is where I belong, just as you belong in Slytherin!" Wendy retorted.

"Well, you could have fooled me! I told all of my friends that my little sister would be joining me in Slytherin, just as Narcissa told all of us that her cousin, Sirius would be joining as well. I'm sure that Mother and Father are not pleased!"

"Mother is very happy! She wrote me a lovely letter and said that Granddad would have been proud that I had been sorted into his House. Father...didn't say anything," Wendy said quietly. The sisters were silent.

"Well, Father never said anything when I was sorted into Slytherin, and that was his House," Winifred sighed. "I suppose that Ravenclaw is an acceptable choice. At least you weren't sorted into Hufflepuff or, God forbid, Gryffindor!"

"Ahem," Lily cleared her throat. She felt uncomfortable listening to what seemed to be a private exchange. The Nott sisters looked over towards her.

"Lily! Severus! Good to see you!" Wendy exclaimed. She turned to her sister. "You know Severus Snape. This is Lily Evans-she's also in my year, but in Gryffindor. Lily, this is my sister, Winifred. She's in Slytherin with Severus."

"I'm in my third year," Winifred announced. "Good to meet you, Lily. What brings you to the owlery at this hour?"

"Severus and I have been trying to post letters to our families all week," Lily said. "We just cannot seem to get a free Hogwarts owl!"

"You will not get an owl this week," Winifred said. She stroked a handsome, long-eared owl with golden eyes and grey feathers. "That is why having your own owl is crucial. At busy times like the first week of classes and Christmas there are no school owls available."

"I know what to do! You can use Ptolemy to deliver your letters!" Wendy clapped her hands.

"Excuse me! Ptolemy is my owl! I share him with you! I don't remember saying that anyone else could use him!" Winifred snapped.

Lily stared down at her feet; Severus glared at the older girl. Bossy, nervous and grouchy were the traits which best described Wendy's sister. He recalled sending Winifred face down into a pigsty when they were younger. That was no longer an option. She was an upperclassman in his House and he had to show her due deference, painful as that was.

"Oh, Winifred, it isn't any trouble! We know Severus! Also, Lily lives in the same city that he does so Ptolemy wouldn't have to make two separate trips! I'm sure that their families are eager for news about their first week!" Winifred stared at Wendy, then turned to face Lily and Severus.

"We are all friends and family in Slytherin, and I certainly can help out a little brother and his friend ithis time/i," Winifred said stiffly, emphasizing the last two words.

"Oh thank you, Winifred! That is so kind of you!" Lily cried.

"Thanks," Severus managed to say. He privately thought that if Wendy had not pled their case Winifred would not have been inclined to offer her owl.

Lily gave Ptolemy her letter and address and Severus did the same. The owl stared at them. Wendy silently pressed a piece of scone into Severus' hand. He offered it to the owl, who accepted the treat and flew out of the window with their letters. They watched until it was out of sight, profusely thanked Winifred again, then set out towards the castle.

The autumn evening was chilly and Lily shivered as the wind whipped her hair about her face. She tilted her face towards the setting sun and held out her hands towards the last rays of light.

"I am so happy, Severus! I cannot believe that I am here at Hogwarts with you! Everything that you told me about it is true! I believe that if I died today I would not regret anything!"

"Don't talk like that, Lily!"

"Don't worry, Severus, I just wanted you to know how happy I am! To be here at Hogwarts with my best friend!" She smiled widely at him.

"The Hufflepuff dormitories are next to the kitchens. Billy Shears and Gary Martin told me that they smelled roast beef and apple tart. Shall I race you to dinner?"

"No, let's walk instead," he said as he took in her windswept red hair and smiling green eyes. They slowly walked back to the castle as the first stars of twilight appeared in the sky.


End file.
